In recent news pertaining to cryptocurrency exchanges, it has been reported that Goldman Sachs is considering exploring custody and other services pertaining to cryptocurrencies; a South African exchange has introduced Tether pairings in the hopes of driving down the local premium on crypto prices through offering arbitrage opportunities to foreign traders; and Blockex has announced that Sublime Group has started operating as a market maker on its exchange.

Iran might soon take a page out of Venezuela’s playbook by launching its own state-issued cryptocurrency. The move is occasioned by the fact that the country is set to come under renewed economic sanctions from the United States.

Local Companies and the CBI Collaborating to Create a National Cryptocurrency

According to local media sources, the country’s apex bank, as well as numerous Iranian companies, are putting modalities in place to create a national cryptocurrency. Commenting on the plans, Alireza Daliri, a senior official of the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Presidential Office said: Read more...

Iran may employ cryptocurrencies as part of its efforts to circumvent the upcoming US sanctions, according to a high-ranking Iranian lawmaker who said the matter will be discussed in parliament soon. The Iranian MP also believes that digital money can help with overcoming the hegemony of the US dollar.

A Dutch multinational financial provider, Rabobank has announced the possible introduction of a ‘cryptocurrency wallet’ tethered to the company’s banking services. The news follows the bank’s recent ‘high risk’ profiling of account holders that participated in bitcoin trading.

Rabobank Investigates the Idea of Introducing a Cryptocurrency Wallet to Its Online Banking Environment

This week the Dutch institution, Rabobank, the second-largest bank in the Netherlands in terms of total assets revealed it may introduce a cryptocurrency wallet called “Rabobit.” The wallet idea is one of 22 concepts introduced in Rabobank’s internal Moonshot acceleration program. At the moment the idea is to host a cryptocurrency wallet that’s tethered to the company’s online banking environment. Rabobank says right now company employees are researching the benefits and risks tied to implementing a digital currency wallet.Read more...

Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck is reportedly considering a capital tie-up in order to regain the trust of crypto investors, following a recent hack where 58 billion yen worth of cryptocurrency was lost. As multiple victim groups are preparing to sue the exchange, the Tokyo police is also stepping up its investigations.

Possible Capital Tie-Up

The Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck is reportedly “considering a capital tie-up to strengthen its financial base and regain trust following a massive cryptocurrency theft from the exchange in a hacking incident about a month ago,” Jiji Press reported, citing an informed source. The exchange lost 58 billion yen worth of the cryptocurrency NEM (~USD$ 544 million) on January 26. Read more...

The government of Spain is preparing blockchain-friendly legislation including possible tax breaks to attract companies in the emerging blockchain technology sector, Bloomberg Politics reports.

“We hope to get the legislation ready this year,” said MP Teodoro Garcia Egea, who is preparing a comprehensive cryptocurrency-related bill. “We want to set up Europe’s safest framework to invest in ICOs.”

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and token sales are one of the latest blockchain-related hot trends and have permitted several companies to raise tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars in a short space of time, bypassing the need for prior regulatory approval.Read more...